Treasured
by ShakespearianNerd
Summary: To be desired is all Caroline ever wanted, but when she is kidnapped by vikings she soon comes to realize that one should always beware of what they wish for. Now, out in the cruel world for the first time in her life, she must manage her own against the lustful and notorious viking Niklaus Mikaelson. How long can the blonde hold out before fate gets in the way?
1. Collateral Damage

The village had been collateral damage—a necessary evil if Klaus was going to obtain the crown that he knew he deserved. His army was legend, known as the hybrid due to the unique blending of military tactics that they employed on the battlefield.

As an expert of destruction the monstrous Viking loved a challenge, however this particular village had provided none. Klaus's reputation preceded him and within moments of his arrival the men ran as far as they could, some with their wives and children, but most fled simply to save themselves. Some of the villagers had hidden, some decided to try their hand at bargaining, but only one fought—a girl that belonged to the name of Caroline.

Being the gentleman that he was, the Viking had always ordered his men to never kill a woman, saying that if it were necessary that he himself would make the final call. So as Klaus's men overpowered the female warrior, she fell prisoner to the most ruthless gentleman to ever invade England.

As smoke from the burning village filled the air, a sense of celebration broke out among Klaus's men; it was time to split the spoils. Some jewelry, silver, and gems, were laid out on a tattered rag, but none of these trivial items appealed to the leader of the group. Instead Klaus made his way to a tent where the obvious sounds of a struggle were coming from.

The blonde's eyes grew wide when he entered the room, and she began to thrash even more violently against the restraints that were meant to hold her still.

"Let. Me. Go. You have no right." She screeched at the Viking

Klaus just chucked at her demand—this girl truly was exquisite.

"I have every right, you should feel yourself lucky to have a temperate man such as myself come to your rescue." As he spoke his tone clearly conveyed just how much he was enjoying the situation.

"Watching my home burn to the ground is hardly ideal." The blonde spat out, venom dripping from every syllable she uttered.

Klaus's smile grew even wider. This girl was delightful, despite the damage she had caused his men he still wanted her around.

"Tell me your name, love." He said, even though he already knew the answer. Klaus wanted this girl to be willingly his, and if that meant playing a few games and exchanging pleasantries, then so be it.

"A name is something you earn." The blonde was in no mood to entertain whatever perverse fantasy she imagined her captor had playing out in his head at the moment.

"Then please enlighten me, how can I acquit myself?"

"Release me, allow me to find what is left of my home." Caroline said simply, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.

"Now why would I do that?" Klaus asked, "I conquered your village and you are my prize, a victor never gives up his spoils." Klaus's voice had a taunting edge to it that drove chills up Caroline's spine.

It was then that the pure hopelessness of the situation sunk in—her village lie in ruins and more than likely her virtue would be soon to follow suit.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, completely revolted by the presence of the man in front of her.

"All of you. Your _devotion_. Your _body_. Your _loyalty_." His voice held a sort of finality, as though he would not accept anything less than what he had just demanded.

"I am not an object," Caroline said, enraged by his arrogance. "I am not something that can be won or lost, and you cannot use me as you please." Something in the back of her mind told Caroline that this wasn't exactly true. The man before her probably had no problem with taking whatever—whomever—he wanted.

"My apologies love, you seem to be under the impression that I was going to give you a choice." Klaus said, confirming Caroline's suspicions.

The girl's mind started to fly to all of the horrible things that she heard a man could do to a woman, causing Caroline's heart to race and for her to once again thrash against the bondages that were now cutting into her circulation.

"Don't worry sweetheart." Klaus said, his voice softer, almost soothing, "All in good time, I won't take you until you are ready, but when I do I can assure you that the screams you utter will not be due to un-want.

The blonde's face grew hot at his words.

"You—" Caroline began but Klaus cut her off.

"Let me tell you how things are going to be _little warrior_. You and I will be spending a lot of time with one another over the next couple of months. You will be entirely dependent on me, that is not to say that you wont find pleasure in the experience if you so—" Now it was Caroline's turn to interrupt him.

"You are a disgusting, revolting, repulsive—"

"Love, if you interrupt me again I may have to rethink just how easy your stay here is going to be." Klaus said, no longer dealing with her nonsense. "I am a conqueror and a collector. When one comes across true beauty, such as what you seem to posses, they never let that treasure go. Do I make myself clear?"

Klaus extended a hand to wipe a golden curl out of her face. He leaned closer to her, and Caroline could feel his breath hot against her neck.

"Never forget, you are mine _Caroline_." He whispered into her ear.

With that he walked out of the tent, leaving Caroline with only her thoughts to keep her company.


	2. Sweet Dreams

The amount of respect that Caroline received was unexpected, especially considering she was technically a prisoner. The only thing that she wasn't entirely comfortable with were the sleeping arrangements—after her first few days with Klaus's men, Klaus informed her that the only room he'd permit her to sleep in was his own.

Of course Caroline wouldn't be a Forbes if she didn't try to resist, so that is exactly what she did. Every night, for almost a week, she went to sleep with all the blankets provided for her in a random tent that was not occupied by the men of the camp. Each night, however, she would awake in Klaus's arms or in the arms of one of his minions while they moved her into his sleeping quarters. So Caroline settled for sleeping like a well-trained dog far off in the corner, there was absolutely no way she would ever share a bed with a man while she was unmarried.

At first Klaus was content with this, assuming that the ground was uncomfortable and she would eventually give into him, but as time grew on he was introduced to just how stubborn this girl really was. He'd told her that he would much prefer if she joined him on the bed, when she scoffed he assured her that they would do nothing more than sleep. Caroline would still have no part in it so he revoked her blanket privileges.

Most nights Caroline would do just fine without the extra warmth, but tonight was not one of them. Klaus had left that morning, and since he had departed a horrible storm had overtaken the camp, it was loud and demanding as it whipped the tents and pressed on harder making going outside impossible.

The blonde eyed Klaus's warm bed, he was the head of one of the most successful Viking groups she had ever seen, she knew that his bed would be soft, luxurious, and most importantly warm. Caroline's fingers had long since lost feeling, and as her eye caught a glimpse of her own reflection in one of the silver treasures Klaus had lying around, Caroline realized that her lips were turning an alarming shade of blue. Not caring about the consequences she climbed into his bed.

As the soft blankets lured her into sleep she didn't notice the sound of hooves in the distance.

It had been difficult, but Klaus and his men made it back without any damage more than some minor cases of frostbite. As he walked towards his tent he regretted taking away Caroline's blanket and grabbed a few extras to make sure that she wouldn't freeze to death.

When he walked into his quarters, the first thing he noticed was that Caroline wasn't sleeping on the makeshift bed she'd created for herself on the floor. Klaus had given the men he stationed at camp strict orders not to let her leave his tent, and just as he was about to tear them to shreds he saw her.

Lying with her hair surrounding her head like a halo, her lips were still slightly off colored from the cold. Klaus was pleasantly surprised that the storm had driven her to his bed—something he himself had been quite unsuccessful on doing. Adding the extra blankets, because Caroline looked as though she could use all the warmth she could get, Klaus crawled into bed next to her and drifted off into a peaceful oblivion.

When Caroline awoke she felt warm and safe, feelings she hadn't been accustomed to for quite awhile. As she went to stretch she noticed the extra weight around her waist.

The memories from the night before came back and as she opened her eyes her fears were confirmed. Her body was locked into place next to Klaus as he unconsciously held her with an iron grip.

Trying to slip out of his grasp before he woke she moved closer to him, hoping that she could then dodge out of his arm, unfortunately this had the opposite of the desirable effect.

Within seconds Klaus was awake and flipping them over so that his body hovered over hers.

"If you wanted to be closer to me, all you would have had to do was ask, love." Klaus said, gazing lustfully down at the woman whom he'd come to think of as his greatest treasure—even if she found being in the same room as him disdainful.

"I was trying to get as far away from you as I could." Caroline said as she attempted push him off of her.

Klaus chuckled and traced his lips along her neck all the way to her ear where he whispered, "Then why is it that I found you in my bed, willingly without any coercion?"

"I was cold." Caroline said, hoping that the truth would be enough to get him off of her.

"And here I thought you would rather freeze than share the same bed as me." Klaus mussed as he brought his lips down to trace the curve of her neck.

"Next time I will take that into consideration." She growled, once again making a feeble attempt to push him off of her.

Klaus lifted himself up to meet her eyes, "You don't truly think that there will be a next time? That after having you asleep in my arms that I would ever allow you to sleep on the floor?" Klaus asked, getting that same possessive look in his eyes as he had when he'd originally told her that she was his prize—his possession.

This time when he gave her that look it no longer brought fear to her heart, dread perhaps, but not fear. He'd kept his word of not taking her against her will, and as strange as it may seem, Caroline believed him—almost trusted him.

"If I agree to share this bed with you will you get off of me?" Caroline asked.

Klaus smirked at her, "Of course, love." He said flipping them one final time so that she was on top and all of her weight was pressed against his chest, the sensation of her above him caused Klaus to stifle a groan.

As she pushed herself off his chest, Klaus could tell she was trying to hide her blush. He watched every one of her movements, loving everything about her.

"See you tonight, Caroline." Klaus called after her as she made her way out of the tent.

The girl ducked her head unsure of what she had just gotten herself into, but surprisingly unafraid of what the outcome may be.


	3. Biblical Excuses

In her life Caroline had met many different kinds of men, and Klaus was probably the strangest; he was a viking yet he never broke his word, even when there were times that Caroline had definitely pushed him to the edge. His temper was almost as strong as his sense of pride; since Klaus saw Caroline as his—his object, his person, his tool—he would never allow any harm to come to her. Many men in the camp were not even allowed to be in her presence. Klaus's craziness aside, Caroline's involuntary time at the camp was relatively routine.

Every morning she would awake in his arms and, although she would never admit this to anyone, it was almost pleasant having a warm body near her. When she opened her eyes Klaus would let her slip away from his bed and she would go to begin her day.

The blonde had a plan, albeit a poorly crafted one, but still a plan. She would not simply sit around and wait for Klaus to lose his head and lash out at her, Caroline needed to escape his grasp and find what was left of her family and her home. The blonde captive would sneak around the camp, collecting scraps of information and potential weapons. If Klaus ever found out what she was doing Caroline doubted she would see the light of day again, but it was a risk she was definitely willing to take.

When dusk came over the camp a fire would be made, and if Caroline remained inconspicuous she could hear great tales of monsters and triumphs; stories of long ago. The adventures these men had experienced caused Caroline to grow envious; they all had the freedom to do whatever they pleased, whereas Caroline would be reprimanded for simply wearing a pair of trousers or desiring a life of her own.

It was late one night when she decided to gather collect the answers that she needed from the devil himself. She sat in front of the evening fire, it warmed her face and as pleasant as the feeling may have once been, it now only reminded her of her village—how her home had gone up in flames.

While she was deep in thought, her target took the bait and sat beside her.

"Care to tell me what plagues your mind, love?" Klaus asked.

If this were a normal night she would shoot him a glare and call it a day, but as of now she wanted something and if that meant using their _relationship_ against him then so be it.

"It is pretty up here." Caroline said, hooking him into what she thought to be a seemingly innocent conversation.

The viking, however, was not fooled. He'd been in the presence of Caroline for quite some time and she was rarely kind to him unless she saw it to her advantage. That was one of the many things he admired about her—she was strong, knew how to take care of herself.

"I fail to see how one as beautiful as yourself could dare call this landscape pretty. Surely, you make even the most vibrant sunset appear dull." Klaus said playing along and bringing out his inner poet—a skill he learned while pillaging in France.

Caroline rolled her eyes, leave it to him to take such a mundane remark and turn it into a way to seduce her. "I simply meant that I do not mind spending time here." She said, getting closer to the question she really wanted an answer to.

"I would expect so, you've probably spent the entirety of your life in a similar landscape given that the remains of your village are not far off."

The blonde sighed, this viking had all the tact of a deadly pack wolf. "I assume that you and your men will not be staying here forever…" she began hoping that he would fill in the blanks so that she wouldn't have to blatantly ask him what in God's name was going on.

"I am afraid that I have answered this question many times before, sweetheart, we will not be leaving you behind." Klaus was slightly irritated with where she was leading the conversation. How many times did he have to remind this girl that she was his and his alone?

"Well at least tell me if we will be staying here much longer." Caroline demanded. Trying to keep the smirk to herself, Klaus had offered her an out.

She knew he was not planning on letting her go, and perhaps he would have simply told her if she asked if they planned to be leaving the camp, but Caroline's father was an army man for England, and she knew better. As of now Klaus thought Caroline entirely dependent on him with only the hopes of a knight in shining armor keeping her going, if he caught on to what she was planning his entire view of her would be changed. The blonde could not afford for him to stand in the way of her plan; so, she took long detours dragging out conversation to gather intelligence, that way he would be unable to ascertain any sense or reason from her questions.

Klaus smirked and brought a hand up to guide her face to meet his gaze, "I'm afraid we will be leaving here before the rise of the next full moon." he said.

Caroline gave a heavy sigh; then what she heard must have been true. If they took her away from this place she would never return home—not that she had a home to return to.

Klaus brushed his hand down her arm, "Now on to a more mannered subject." He said.

"Like how you plan to get me into your bed?" Caroline challenged, upset after not receiving the answer she had hoped for.

Klaus chuckled, she was certainly in a saucy mood this evening. Good, two could play at that game.

"Now correct me if I am wrong, but is it not under my sheets that you lay to rest every night?" he asked, a mischievous tint in his eye.

Caroline's face turned a shade of red that was uniquely her own.

"You know as well as I that a peaceful sleep is not all you desire." she said, now avoiding his eyes. She'd heard of lewd flirtations, but she had never experienced anything of this sort before.

"Care to test that theory?" He asked moving closer to her so that they were only inches apart.

"No. You disgust me." She said, ignoring the part of her that knew better than to speak to a man in such a way.

Caroline had completely abandoned one of the crucial parts of the plan. She was supposed to play the docile woman who men always expected her to be. Back home being smart was almost punishable by death, for a woman who knew too much would be likely to find an ill-marriage. For this reason Caroline was always second best, the men back home would tell her that she was beautiful, but they never wanted anything more than her physical state.

No, only women like Caroline's childhood friend Elena found good husbands. Only the obedient had the opportunity to find love; there had once been a time in Caroline's life when she had tried to change herself, to become someone that a man would want. If she thought about it now, it seemed weak and pathetic, but back then all she wanted was to be wanted—that philosophy almost ruined her.

Yet, knowing everything she knew about how to gain and keep a man's attention, why was it that when she acted like herself, who she really was, Klaus seemed excited rather than repulsed?

"What are you saying, Caroline?" He asked, "If I were to touch you that you would feel nothing but bile rise in your throat?"

Caroline nodded, "You should consider yourself lucky, few have had such a strong effect on me." She was trying so hard to not become putty in his hands and to keep a grip on the sarcastic persona she had so confidently portrayed in their earlier interactions.

Klaus brought his hand up to trace the line of her jaw, "Now why is it that I have a hard time hearing any truth in your words, sweetheart?" She could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Well, I guess we will have to agree to disagree." she murmured, ignoring just how wonderful his hands felt against her skin.

"Tell me, Caroline, what is it that keeps you from giving in to me?" Klaus asked, going for the blunt and straightforward approach.

"God." she blurted out, recalling the lessons she had as a child. Of all of the answers she could have given, this one seemed the most probable, Lord knows that her father had instilled enough bible-study in her that she could stall Klaus for hours without him laying a hand on her.

"Now that wasn't an answer I was expecting." Klaus said drawing his hand back, stunned at the little piece of Caroline Forbes he had just obtained.

"It is against God's will to do...what you want us to do." Caroline said, knowing it was a sound answer. Whether the reasoning was of any importance to her, well that remained to be seen.

"Perhaps, but who needs marriage when you are already mine—I won you" Klaus sounded very certain in this reasoning.

Caroline had had it with the way he seemed so keen on objectifying her. Everyone in her life had turned her into an object, treated her like something rather than someone, and although Klaus may appreciate her qualities more than the others, that did not make him any better.

"You may have won me," she said, allowing all of the anger she'd been feeling to rise within her, "but you have yet to prove that truly earned me."

When Klaus did not look as though he was going to give a witty remark Caroline continued.

"If you really want me, then show me your compassion, your mercy. Show me that you deserve me." She said as she got up and walked to his—their tent.

Once Klaus had regained his composure he would have chased after Caroline immediately had it not been for some unwanted company.

"She deserves better, you know." The man said crouching down next to Klaus.

"I would watch the way you speak to me, Ripper, just because I do not have you in shackles does not mean you can speak to me as if we were mates."

Although the village had not provided Klaus a challenge, it did appear as though it had other uses. Stefan Salvatore was one of them

The man was unbelievably skilled and ruthless on the battlefield, he probably would not have fallen victim to Klaus's men had it not been for Stefan's dark-haired older brother.

Damon. That was the man's name. Klaus was just about to kill him when Stefan struck the deal: Damon's life for Stefan's servitude.

"I know, but I sat idly by and watched Caroline get hurt once, I am not going to let that happen again." Stefan said, forcing some conviction into his voice.

The Salvatore would have broke Caroline free the first day, or at least gone to comfort her, had Klaus not ordered the boy not to go near Caroline—claiming he would go back on the deal and kill both Salvatore brothers if Stefan went within one-hundred feet of the blonde. The younger Salvatore could plainly see that Caroline was struggling, she may have been strong, but having to watch her home burn to the ground and being thrown around by a viking had obviously taken its toll on her.

Klaus paused for a second. He knew that the two had obviously been acquainted, the village had not been all that large, and it was from the Salvatore brother, or Ripper as Klaus had taken to calling him, that the viking knew anything about Caroline at all.

"Just watch your tongue before I feed it to you." Klaus growled, leaving Stefan behind so that he could join his Caroline in their tent.

When he entered the room he found Caroline already fast asleep. In the past few days she had been calmer, more content—this led Klaus to believe that she must be up to something. If what Stefan was insinuating was true then his little light had a dark cloud swarming around her, and if the viking had learned anything in his years of destruction it was that a girl with a past was far too resourceful for their own good. In order to keep his lovely Caroline, Klaus would need to know everything about her, find a way to tie her down to him. Too many people in Klaus's life had left him to rot, he would not be adding Caroline to that list any time soon.

* * *

**A Message from ShakespearianNerd:**

_Hello there you literate person you,_

_Thank you for deciding to read this story, a story that originated from a drabble request I received on Tumblr. I hope that you enjoy where I plan on taking this tale, things may just get a little crazy, but hey life isn't fun if we don't all go a little psychotic every now and again. ;)_

_Thanks so much for your support, see you at the end of the story (probably; I don't really do these author's notes things...)._

_-ShakespearianNerd_


	4. Button Up

The land was scarce as the Vikings packed up what was left of their camp, within a few hours the only evidence that they had been there at all would be the scorched ruins that lay in the distance.

Caroline knew it was only a matter of time before things went awry in the Viking camp, and if she didn't get away from them now then there would be no chance of her obtaining freedom ever again. Having grown up in the area, the blonde knew this landscape better than the back of her own hand. It was in these woods that she'd gone to war for imaginary kingdoms with her childhood friends, and even Klaus, with his vast skills in maneuvering through tough terrain, wouldn't be able to find her in her own domain.

The only real problem Caroline faced was how to break free of his iron grip. Klaus was always watching her, his blue-eyed hawk gaze rarely straying from her slight frame when she was out of his tent. If the leader himself were not around then at least three different men would be tracking her every breath. There were only a few seconds scattered scarcely between shift changes that Caroline would have any sort of time to herself in order to collect all the tools she would need. With meticulous planning and never-ending prayers, she finally wrapped up her plans and was ready to make her grand escape.

On what she assumed would be her final day with Klaus, Caroline saw him over looking the land that he and his men had ruined. The blond stifled her smirk as she approached him—as of now her plan seemed to be falling effortlessly into place.

"That field out there was once able to feed my entire village." She commented once she was standing next to him.

"It is a shame that it had to be destroyed—it was definitely was sight to behold." Klaus said, shamelessly looking over Caroline's frame.

The blonde scoffed, "yes, because you are, as you said, a collector of beauty."

"I have you don't I?" He asked, his eyes holding something genuine despite the smirk on his face.

Caroline hated when he referred to her as an object, but she bit her tongue to refrain from saying something to anger him and diminish her chances of escape.

"Can I ask you a favor?" She asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Depends on what you want love." Klaus said, his eyes settling a little lower than where they should.

"Could you walk me out there—to what's left of my village, so that I can say goodbye?" Caroline said, feigning all of the innocence that had gotten her through life thus far.

Klaus looked skeptical. He knew she wouldn't be able to go anywhere, but his Caroline didn't need another reason to resent him, and seeing her former home lying in ashes could end up pushing her even farther away.

"Please," Caroline whispered, "I'd do anything."

Anything was an interesting word, Klaus had often heard it escape the lips of a desperate man whose neck would soon be severed with a sword. Having Caroline pleading and in his debt seemed too good to be true, so he accepted her terms before she could retract her words.

Offering his arm to her in a mockingly gentleman-like fashion Klaus led his lady towards what pieces were left of her village.

They walked in silence, Caroline's eyes scanning the places she had—just weeks before—seen children playing and running from the parents that tried to wrangle them in.

When they reached the outskirts of what had once been her home, Caroline held out her hand, brushing up against what was at one time a shelter from the cold. When she laid eyes on the house of her former best friends, Stefan Salvatore, her knees grew weak.

The blonde had no idea where her childhood friend was, or whether he was even alive. When Klaus's men collected the bodies that their swords had pierced, Caroline was frantically trying to find Stefan, but he was nowhere to be seen. She knew he was skilled in combat and a part of her wished that he had gotten out, away from the flames, away from the destruction, and away from all the heartache that had plagued him in their little village.

"Something on you mind, love?" Klaus asked, pulling Caroline out of her dazed state.

"Just an old friend." Caroline said with a mournful tone.

She wished that she could help Stefan in some way, like he had when she'd lost one of her oldest friends, Bonnie Bennett. Caroline was known for being resilient, but when Bonnie died she took a part of Caroline with her. If it had not been for Stefan there was no saying what Caroline would have become.

Klaus, on the other hand, had gone through the entirety of his life without friends. In his world there were allies, family, and enemies, and no in-betweens or gray areas. As a great Viking, Klaus had never felt the need for friendship, but the look on Caroline's face as she recounted old memories almost convinced him otherwise, for no one have ever cared for him as much as Caroline seemed to care for her fallen comrade.

"They were there for me when I lost someone who meant the world to me." Caroline elaborated, making her way around the home, hoping to see that some element of Stefan had survived.

"Something tells me you wouldn't need anyone's help to recover from a painful experience." Klaus said leaning against what was left of one of the walls of Stefan's home.

"Well, then you obviously don't know how it feels to lose someone who was a part of you." Caroline said turning her back to him so her eyes could survey the woods that were only yards away.

"I wouldn't be so sure, sweetheart." Klaus said, his tone going darker as he involuntarily remembered the day he lost his youngest brother.

Turning around to meet his gaze, Caroline was going to throw him a sarcastic remark until she saw the emotions in his eyes. He was wearing a look that still haunted her own face when she thought of the people she'd lost—it was the look of a survivor.

"Who…" Caroline began before she realized it wasn't her place to ask that question.

"Not today, love. Some memories are best left forgotten." Klaus said, trying to shove the images that were venturing towards his consciousness back into the corner of his brain that he never allowed to see the light of day.

Not wanting to push him Caroline nodded as she bent down to pick up what appeared to be a button from a man's shirt. Slipping it into the hem of her dress so that she could carry the spirit of the Salvatore family with her, she mumbled a quick prayer hoping that her plan would go off effortlessly.

As though it were God's will the commotion she'd set up started in the camp, a series of flames set off by someone opening a meaningless tent. On a good day Caroline would need thirty seconds to make the sprint to where the woods could conceal her, but the blonde knew she'd be lucky if she got half that time. The second Klaus turned around she bolted.

Trying to make as little noise as possible she ran with her lungs burning and her legs flying. Straight for the woods she went. Caroline wouldn't have thought the speed she obtained humanly possible, but she made it to where the forest could hide her location without hearing Klaus yell a single word.

She dodged between trees; running erratically in hopes to throw him off if he was indeed following her. Caroline had a destination in mind—a childhood fort that the children of her village used. In reality it was just a pile of sticks, it didn't look like much, but it was well concealed and it would be the safest place for the blonde to catch her breath.

When she saw the mossy pile of sticks the blonde almost fell to her knees in gratitude. Hiding herself within the cave that the fort created she planned her journey to a town that was about three days travel from her village.

Once Klaus's men gave up on her, as she knew they would, Caroline would be able to move without fear. She had swiped enough bread and water to last her up to a week, and with any luck the tiny town would have gone untouched by Klaus's men and she would have the opportunity to obtain whatever sort of normal life a girl in her situation could manage.

As her heart slowed down to its normal pace, Caroline closed her eyes. She was free—out of Klaus's bed, his grasp, his sight. However it appeared as though her good fortune was to be short-lived, for while she was reveling in how wonderful the world had been to her, a man with a silent step crept up next to her.

With the quickest movement he snatched her waist and put a hand over her mouth to stifle her screams.

Caroline thrashed violently against him, refusing to go back to a Vikings' camp without causing maximum damage to those who were dragging her back. Her captor turned Caroline around and their eyes met.

Her heart that had moments before been beating out of her chest froze still. _He_ was back.


	5. The Devil You Know

_He_ was back. His stark blue eyes were just as menacingly heartless as they had ever been.

"What do you want, Damon." Caroline choked out. She'd escaped Klaus only to fall into the hands of someone worse—at least Klaus had never tried to take full advantage of her, she could not say the same for Damon.

"I want my brother back." Damon said, Caroline wished she could say that the contempt that played across Damon's features was unexpected, but to him she was moronic and useless.

"I don't know where Stefan is," the blonde whispered in a broken voice, flinching as she realized this was not the answer Damon was looking for. Having the older Salvatore so close brought Caroline back to those day long ago, only this time there was no Stefan to save her.

"Doesn't matter." He growled, leave it to Caroline to be the most incompetent hostage in the history of England during _his_ time of need, "when I trade you to Klaus in exchange for Stefan, the viking will jump on the opportunity to have you in his clutches again, especially considering the damage you caused to his camp."

Caroline's mind was clouded with confusion. She had no idea that Stefan was one of Klaus's captives; the blonde had been all over the camp and yet she had not seen a single sign signifying that her childhood friend was there. Of corse, after the initial shock wore off, the fear settled in. Caroline loved Stefan, but she had no intention of ever returning to that Viking camp.

"There has to be another way. Damon, I can't go back there." Caroline knew that the this Salvatore was heartless, but if there was even the tiniest chance that there was something human inside of him that could spare her, she had to take it.

"It's nothing personal, but Stefan is in there because of me, and I am going to be the one to get him out. No matter the cost."

Caroline was going to lose it. Her chances of escaping the first time were slim, if Klaus ever caught her again they'd be nonexistent.

"I barely got away this time, I won't have another chance if you send me back."

Damon barked a laugh and when Caroline shot him a confused look, he seemed even more amused.

"You didn't think your little trap would work did you?" When she opened her mouth to speak he cut her off. "You would need something bigger than a few sparks to distract someone who has been playing with fire their entire life."

Caroline swallowed, "what did you do, Damon?"

"I did what had to be done." Damon said, tightening his grip on Caroline's arm as the look of panic flooded her features.

"Klaus has a temper, what ever was holding him back before…" Caroline stopped, the fear of what seemed inevitable overpowering every thought in her mind.

Ruin. Pain. Destruction. Caroline had experienced enough of those things in her life, and it seemed as though she would never be able to find a moment of peace.

"I won't go back there, you can't make me." Caroline kept her head high; she wanted to seem strong, even if her knees were growing weak.

Damon threw her a sardonic smirk, and raised his hands to Caroline's throat—much like he had when they were courting. If she was talking too much and he wanted quiet, he'd apply a little pressure on her airway and the blonde would be out cold. Closing her eyes, Caroline waited for the darkness to take over, but when nothing happened she took a peek at Damon.

The fear must have clouded her senses, for Damon was no longer touching her. Instead he was laying on the ground bleeding out of the back of his head, a blood covered rock not far off from him.

Taking a deep breath, the confused and frightened girl was about to get as far away from the scene as possible when she crashed into a familiar chest. Looking up at her collision mate Caroline sighed, "Stefan."

"It's good to see you, Care." The younger Salvatore said, pulling the blonde into a friendly embrace.

"Your brother—."

"Will have a major headache when he wakes, but nothing he doesn't deserve." He said extending his arm, knowing that she would probably want to get as far away from Damon as possible.

As Stefan led Caroling out into the woods her heart was thumping so loud she was sure he could hear it.

"Stefan, you have to help me get away. Come with me, we can be free together." When the younger Salvatore began to shake his head the blonde groaned, "Why not?"

"Caroline, you have to go back."

The blonde's eyes went wide. What horrible thing could Klaus of possibly done to Stefan that would turn her friend into a Viking sympathizer?

"If I go back, they'll ruin me—or kill me, Damon told me what he did." The panic was starting to settle in and breathing was becoming more and more difficult.

"I know my brother's work when I see it, Care," Stefan said, trying to calm his neurotic friend down. "Klaus won't blame you, I promise."

"There's a town, just west of here Stef. I can have a normal life. Don't take that away from me."

"That town is gone. Demolished. Even worse than this one."

Caroline shook her head, "Klaus's men were coming from the East, they couldn't have had enough time to completely destroy it." Whether she was trying to convince herself or her friend, she wasn't entirely sure.

Stefan took a step forward, placing his hands on Caroline's shoulders to hold her still, "Klaus and his men aren't the only Vikings in the area, you need to go back to him. You know what they say, better the devil you know."

"If you cared about my well-being, you wouldn't ask me to go back there."

The Salvatore shook his head, "This is the only option."

"Then I'm sorry." She whispered.

Stefan gave her a dumbstruck look, "sorry?"

As children Caroline knew all of Stefan's weaknesses, and if she had to play dirty she could immobilize him long enough to run away.

Keeping full focus on her need to escape the impending doom of a future with Klaus, Caroline grabbed the sensitive part behind Stefan's neck and brought her knee up full force to meet his groin. When he crumpled to the ground in agony she bolted.

Perhaps picking the most popular spot outside of town for children as her great hideout hadn't been the best of ideas considering she was found by two different men who were willing to hand her directly back to Klaus.

Any devil would be better than the one she faced in that camp. He was ruthless, aloof, seductive, but most terrifyingly, he was human. Caroline could shove just about any monster under her bed, but she had never been able to turn her back on someone who was capable of being saved.

There were moments, when Klaus thought she couldn't see him or thought her unconscious, that she could see the fragments of what had perhaps at one time been a whole man.

That was the worst part. When she heard him groan in pain whilst he slept she wanted to comfort him, to be there for him, but that would only harm her in the end. She'd seen the words engraved on his sword and she had no doubt they were scarred into his heart as well—he did not love, he did not feel, for _love was a weakness_. If she began to care for him, if she let him in, it would not only be her body and soul that would meet ruin, but her heart.

Her mind was so distracted with thoughts of _him_ that she didn't hear the footsteps that were creeping up behind her. When her lungs and legs couldn't take it anymore, she collapsed and her follower pounced.

His arm wrapped around her waist bringing her to meet his frame. There was no room for escape, no room for air. Every inch of her was pressed up against her third potential captor of the day.

"Well, love, it appears as though you're more resourceful than I thought." Klaus whispered into her ear.

And just like that Caroline was trapped again, and if the pounding in Klaus's chest and the anger in his voice were any indicator, this time around would be worse than the last.


	6. Consequences

"Well, love, it appears as though you're more resourceful than I thought." Klaus whispered into her ear.

For just a brief moment Caroline had been able to taste true freedom. No Vikings, judgmental friends, or demanding fathers. She was just free, but like everything else in her life that she had once hoped for, it turned out to be nothing more than a false hope. Now there was not a single thing stopping Klaus from taking full advantage of her, and as Caroline felt him tighten his grip on her small frame she could feel the helplessness settle in.

"I take it you didn't enjoy my parting gift?" She asked in a mocking tone as she made reference to the fire she'd started and that Damon had made worse.

"Burning down a man's home is not the way to get what you want, sweetheart." Klaus said dragging his fingers along her arms. The tone in his voice made the blonde very aware of just what he was insinuating could make him do whatever she wanted.

Despite the rather lewd subtext, the double standard of his words was not lost on Caroline.

"I'll be sure to be more considerate when escaping next time."

"There will not be a next time, Caroline. You tried and failed, now you must accept the consequences of your actions." Klaus's tone did nothing to mask his anger.

Caroline scoffed, "I will never stop trying to get away from you."

Klaus spun her around and from the look in his eyes Caroline knew she had gone too far.

"You need to be honest with yourself, love." He said, trying to regain his composure.

Caroline glared at him as she tried to calm her breathing. From her position tucked against his chest, she couldn't quite make eye contact, but she believed that Klaus received the message when she tried to knee him in the groin as she had Stefan.

"Talk plain with me, Klaus." Caroline snapped, done with his nonsensical riddles.

Bringing his hand to settle on her lower back, Klaus smirked as he felt Caroline's body shiver in reaction to his touch.

"_You_ desire me. Perhaps not as much as I do you, but it's there."

Caroline froze, then sending him a condescending look said in the coldest voice she could manage, "I could never want you."

Something flickered across his features, and for a moment Caroline felt guilty for what she had just said.

Klaus seemed genuinely upset that she had made a move against him. Her setting a few of his tents ablaze was, to him, an unspeakable crime—but what about her home? He would walk away with what he cared about still intact. Everything that Caroline loved was gone: the safety of her home, the people of her village, all she had left was ashes. Klaus even managed to steal away her best friend, Stefan, a man who had once been willing to betray his own family to save her, was now trying to sell her to the devil.

As she thought about everything she'd lost, whatever calm Caroline had left was destroyed. She thrashed against Klaus's hold with a strength she did not think herself capable of. She yelled and screamed, calling him a monster and a hypocrite, but none of it seemed to faze the man. If the suspicious pressure on her lower half was any indicator, he enjoyed her defiance—and his pleasure was enough to make Caroline fight even harder.

When he thought that he might lose hold of her, he surged forward and manipulated her so that her back was pressed against the tree and her front against his chest.

His breath was heavy and the blonde could feel it against her neck. In the depths of his blue eyes, Caroline could see a swarm of emotions in his eyes. There was the obvious rage which was mixed with a spark of excitement that made Caroline's skin shiver—in what she assumed to be disgust—but further below the surface there was something that made her blood run cold.

Betrayal. Klaus felt betrayed by her actions, her self-preservation had somehow struck a chord in his heart. Caroline was unsure if she should be enraged by his possessive qualities or saddened that a prisoner trying to escape could cause emotional damage to a man. She wanted so badly to scream at him for the audacity of thinking that there was some sort of understanding between them that she would never leave him—that he had some sort of claim over her, but she couldn't. What kind of life could he have led to put himself in a position in which someone whom he treated as an object could harm his heart?

Whether she liked it or not, it appeared as though Caroline may just be staying with him long enough to discover the tale behind the Viking. With his body trapping hers against the trunk of the tree, and his eyes roaming her frame like a deprived animal, there was no hint of him ever letting her go again.

Klaus smirked, tracing his hand across her neck.

"Wondering what's in your future are we, love?"

Caroline scoffed and rolled her eyes as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Nope, just planning the route for my next great escape." She said.

Klaus laughed and brought his finger to brush against the top of the curvature of her breast.

"I think we both know that you won't be going anywhere for a rather long time."

Caroline avoided his gaze. He was right, of course. The blonde knew that her fate was sealed the second his arms wrapped around her waist. She was damned to a life as his prize from a battle well won, but that did not mean she couldn't put on a brave front.

Pulling herself to as much of her full height as she could manage against the tree, Caroline said, "Whatever you're going to do, Klaus, just get it over with. It's impolite to keep a lady waiting."

Klaus smiled. His Caroline was strong until the end. She thought her world was coming to a close, and yet she stood tall, making witty remarks and trying to keep her defenses against him up.

"Where's the fun in that?" He brought his hand to meet her cheek, caressing her face he added, "Your torture is going to be slow. That, love, I can guarantee you."

Caroline's blood ran cold and her heart stilled. He was being honest with her and that was more terrifying than any lie.

Not another word would escape the blonde's lips for hours. Klaus would lead her away, with her resolve defeated she didn't pose much of an opponent against the iron grip he had on her arm. The Viking dragged her along like a petulant child, and forced her back into her doom—his camp.

Caroline's felt a stab of guilt as she laid eyes on the destruction that had ensued because of her. The ground was covered in charred remains. Anything that was on the eastern side of the camp was destroyed, and the blonde had no doubt that any man who was in the way would have been, at the very least, severely injured.

The guilt did not go away as Klaus led her to his tent. Caroline knew she had every right to reach for her best chance at a life outside of this purgatory, but since she was once again a caged bird, was it really worth it? Damon had taken her escape too far; it was his fault that the potential of people who were hurt had grown. No matter the situation Caroline would never trade the lives of others for her own convenience—that wasn't who she was.

When they came to Klaus's tent, he threw Caroline carelessly on the bed, reminding her of the prisoner that she was. Crawling on top of her with a devilish look in his eyes, Caroline thought her heart was going to collapse.

He looked at her as though she was the cure for all of his ailments. As though a kiss from her could solve any problem that the world had to offer.

Just when she thought he was going to begin the process of ruining her innocence, he moved swiftly and chained her left wrist to the headboard of his bed.

Caroline threw him an exasperated look, "You don't think I learned my lesson?" She demanded.

"Not yet." Klaus smirked. "Think of it this way, if anyone else caused half the damage that you have, they'd be dead. Consider this a blessing."

Caroline snorted and sent a glare his way, but Klaus was already heading back out to the camp to do God knows what.

The Viking was drifting through the remains of his camp in the strangest of moods. On one hand Caroline had destroyed parts of what he had worked so hard to achieve, and on the other she was, once again, tucked away safely within his reach. He got to see the full extent of her fire, and he was more intrigued than he ever had been, and now that her plans were foiled she would not try to leave him again. Klaus saw this as a win; after all, what was a victory without a few casualties?

Going to search for the new addition to his collection, Klaus caught eyes with Stefan as the _ripper_ made his way to Caroline. The man had asked if he could clear things up with the blonde, and Klaus didn't see any harm in it. Especially after their interaction in the woods, Klaus felt no threat from Stefan in regards to who would win Caroline's romantic affections.

The Viking could imagine his little blonde was in quite the precarious position. Soon she would be truly alone, and after she faced the horrid truth she would become completely his. Caroline would not escape her fate, she would belong to Klaus if it was the last thing he did.


End file.
